with you around.”
I’m not sure what she means by that, but it makes me laugh. “I just don’t want to intrude on family time.”
“Friends are family, too.” She opens the oven door, and a loud screech bounces off the wall. I wince, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “Ooh, I think it’s done.”
“It smells really yummy.”
“It’s my first attempt, so let’s hope I didn’t botch it.” She grabs a couple of oven mitts, and I stand awkwardly in the doorway. It’s not like I can help much—there is barely enough space in here with us tandem, so I can’t imagine helping side-by-side. So I wring my hands together and peer at the front door. Gertrude was parked out front, so I wonder if Pete took Maddie’s car to get Demi.
That’s nice and responsible. Safer. Sexy.
Oh! That was a surprise description that just sneaked its way into my thoughts.
I shake my head and focus back on Maddie. “Can I help with anything?” I ask, but it’s more just out of politeness protocol.
“I think I got it,” she says through a strained voice, bent down into the oven. A grunt drops from her lips as she hoists a huge ham up on top of the stove. She lets out a hefty breath and kicks the oven door shut.
“Hmm…” She tilts her head. “Is it supposed to look like that?”
I peer around her, and my eyes widen. The slices splay out like a flower blossoming, the ends crisp and black.
“Did you not wrap it?”
“Wrap it in what?” She picks up the instructions on the counter and reads over them with a furrowed brow.
“Aluminum foil.” I hold back a grin and ease toward the stove. I mean, it looks good… just more like bacon than ham. “You’re supposed to wrap it in aluminum foil while it cooks.”
“Well, that would’ve been good to know.” She chucks the instructions down. “Think it’ll be edible?”
“Oh yeah. Just a little crispy.”
“Great.”
We share a laugh, and she leans against the counter and stretches to turn the oven off. “Guess getting that job flipping burgers isn’t for me.”
“Are you looking for work?” I was under the impression she was focusing on her boarding. At least, that’s what I gathered from seeing her at Troublemakers so often.
“More work.” She sighs and crosses her arms. Her left hand still has an oven mitt covering it. “After the holidays, the theater gets really slow, so my hours will be cut.”
“I didn’t know you worked at the theater.”
“Four years now.”
As long as Pete’s been at Troublemakers. Hmm.
“You don’t like it?”
She lifts a shoulder. “It’s fine. Flexible. But the pay is low, I’m obviously one of the oldest ones there, and benefits are crap, even for management.”
I’m not too familiar with the job market here. In our small college town, a lot of the positions people go for are internships or the minimum wagers, like Troublemakers, the theater, fast food, ice cream shop… that kind of thing. When I went to Troublemakers, it was purely to make friends and gain a true college experience. I haven’t had to use my paycheck for anything but fun.
“Would you consider leaving the theater?”
“That’s the dream. If I ever get a sponsor for my boarding, that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
“I have no idea how that works,” I admit. “They pay you to skate?”
“And do competitions and stuff. I wear their gear and rock it so they get some good promo.”
“Sounds like a lot of pressure.”
“And so much fun.” Her eyes light up, just like when she was with Mona Lisa. If only we could all get paid doing what we love.
Oh, wait. “Hey… you liked taking care of the horses, right?”
“You kidding? Best day ever.”
Excitement tenses my shoulders. “Would you consider doing that?”
Her smile fades, a tiny wrinkle appearing above the bridge of her nose. “Taking care of horses?”
I nod. “My parents are always looking for some farmhands. You could train with Luke for a bit, then you would care for them.” I’m making it sound so fun, but it’s not. I quickly add, “It’s not easy. Real dirty work, lots of physical activity—”
“Are you for real, right now?” she says, all smiles gone.
Shoot, did I overstep? “Never mind.” I shake my head, pinching my eyes shut. “It was just an idea.”
“No, no… I’m not mad. I’m in shock.” She straightens, sliding her oven mitt off, not taking her eyes off me. “You’d really pay me to take care of your horses. Like full time.”
“It’s a sunrise to dinner